Department of Veterans Affairs

Pharmacy Technician (Operating Room/Oncology)

Saint Louis, Missouri Full time

Pharmacy Technician (Operating Room/Oncology)

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Saint Louis, Missouri

Salary Range: $75860 - $98626 Per Year

Job Summary: The Operating Room/Oncology Pharmacy Technician is responsible for providing pharmaceutical services for surgery, oncology, and anesthesiology. They will prepare and distribute IV admixtures/sterile products in various settings, maintain records, and participate in quality improvement activities. The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Major Duties:

  • Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties: Assists with medication-related activities for the operating room and other areas as needed. Ensures appropriate drug distribution within areas served. Accurately fills and distributes medication orders in all areas of drug accountability (e.g. high alert, non-formular, and expired drug). Maintains, verifies, stocks, and replaces outdated pharmaceuticals and compounded products. Fills and/or compounds prescriptions (non-sterile oral or external medications), IV admixtures/sterile products, and hyperalimentation including calculating and converting the amount of drug or solution to be used. Collaborates with controlled substance vault technician in supervising and stocking controlled substances to operating room areas. Facilitates the delivery of stat medications to the operating room in cases of intra-operative emergencies. Provides quality control analysis for dispensing activities of automated dispensing equipment. Participates in the development, dissemination, and enforcement of pharmacy related policies and procedures. Monitors and reports routine drug utilization patterns in order to avoid over/under stock situations. Educates and provides drug information to surgery and anesthesia staff, nursing staff, pharmacy staff, and other personnel, patients, and their representatives. Acts as a mentor for pharmacy student and resident rotations focusing on OR Pharmacy services. Work Schedule: Full-Time, 0830-1700 and occasionally 0500-1330 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications: Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education or Experience: (1) None required. (2) For all grade levels and positions that accept both education and experience to qualify, equivalent combinations of qualifying education and experience that total at least 100% are qualifying. The combined percentage is determined by adding total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level to the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level. Certification: For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR National Healthcareer Association (NHA) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS0-08 Pharmacy Technician Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below. Certification: For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: PTCB as a CPhT. OR NHA as a ExCPT. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Pharmacy technicians at this level have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments: Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession. The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area. Preferred Experience: Experience compounding hazardous medications preferred. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This position is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: None.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/21/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12834787. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-21